Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis is a legume cultivated to be eaten as green pods. It is known as the yardlong bean,[1]bora, bodi,[2]long-podded cowpea, asparagus bean,[1]pea bean,[1]snake bean, or Chinese long bean.[1] Despite the common name, the pods are actually only about half a yard long; the subspecies name sesquipedalis (one-and-a-half-foot-long) is a rather exact approximation of the pods' length.

This plant is of a different genus than the common bean. It is a vigorous climbing annualvine. The plant is subtropical/tropical and most widely grown in the warmer parts of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and southern China. A variety of the cowpea, it is grown primarily for its strikingly long (35-75 cm) immature pods and has uses very similar to that of the green bean. The many varieties of yardlong beans are usually distinguished by the different colors of their mature seeds. The plant attracts many pollinators, specifically various types of yellowjackets and ants.

The pods, which can begin to form just 60 days after sowing, hang in groups of two or more. They are best for vegetable use if picked before they reach full maturity; however, overlooked pods can be used like dry beans in soups. When harvesting, it is important not to pick the buds which are above the beans; since the plant will set many more beans on the same stem. The plants take longer to reach maturity than bush beans, but once producing, the beans are quick-growing and daily checking/harvesting is often a necessity. The plants will produce beans until frost.

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The crisp, tender pods are eaten both fresh and cooked. They are at their best when young and slender. They are sometimes cut into short sections for cooking uses. As a West Indian dish, they are often stir-fried with potatoes and shrimp. In Odisha, India they are called as ଝୁଡ଼ୁଙ୍ଗ [Jhudunga], used to make a variety of dishes. Specially a sour dish - ଝୁଡ଼ୁଙ୍ଗ ବେସର [Judunga Besara] cooking along with mustard sauce & Lime. They are also used in stir-fries in Chinese cuisine and in Kerala cuisine.[citation needed]

In the Philippines, they are known as sitaw or butong and are widely eaten stir-fried with soy sauce, garlic and hot pepper and in an all vegetable dish call utan, or are stewed in bagoong-based dishes such as pinakbet and dinengdeng. Other Filipino dishes that have yardlong beans as ingredients are sinigang and kare-kare. Yardlong beans are also separated from the pod and are cooked with the buds of the alukon tree (Alleaenthus luzonicus) and other vegetables in a dish called agaya in Northeastern Luzon.[citation needed]